The Zap Gun — Philip K. Dick

The terrifying arms race roared on. Daily, East and West produced more dreadful weaponry. And, daily, yesterday's weapons were turned into toys, souvenirs, egg beaters, furniture ... and never, ever used as weapons. Which was just as well, since they wouldn't have worked.

It may have looked crazy, but it kept the 21st Century world peaceful and its population securely under the domination of the monstrous, ubiquitous security agencies.

But then the Sirius Slavers arrived from outer space. Whole cities began to disappear. The world was defenceless - and the race for an Ultimate Weapon for survival was on, for real this time.The outcome meant life or death for Earth. And it lay in the hands of two misfit weapons 'fashion designers', a demented comic book artist and a highly unlikely toymaker from the wrong side of time ...